Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast Way Seeking Mind
Jul 21, 2025
Jimon Lorene Flaming, a novice priest and longtime resident at Upaya Zen Center, shares her inspiring journey influenced by her Mennonite roots and international service. She discusses pivotal moments from her father's humanitarian missions to her transformation from medicine to environmental work. Jimon reflects on the importance of spiritual friendships, the challenges of development work, and the quest for deeper human connections. Her narrative highlights the power of embodied Zen practices, the impact of loss, and the enriching effects of rituals on spiritual life.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Formative Mennonite Roots
- Lorraine Flaming describes her Mennonite upbringing focused on nonviolence, service, and lineage.
- A Time magazine cover of Cambodian starvation inspired her father's refugee work and her vow to serve overseas.
Early International Career Path
- Flaming recounts moving to Tokyo and working on international forestry at a UN agency.
- She then pursued a master's in public policy at Harvard to gain analytical skills for policy work.
Bosnia: Arrival And Field Lessons
- She worked in Bosnia soon after Dayton and felt she had 'arrived' by connecting with local colleagues.
- A mine-awareness training taught her fieldwork metaphors and the limits of expertise.
